2015 Spring Review

With the purpose of teaching the science and engineering of solar energy and partnering with industry to research methods for producing more-efficient and lower-cost solar cells, the Lee College of Engineering has opened the new Photovoltaic Technology Research Laboratory.

Located in the Energy Production and Infrastructure Building, the new photovoltaic lab is under the direction of Dr. Aba Ebong, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the graduation of UNC Charlotte’s first bachelor of engineering students, The William States Lee College of Engineering has a number of special events planned for 2015.

Kicking off the anniversary year, Lee College of Engineering alumni, family and friends attended a Charlotte Knights baseball game on April 10. Participants enjoyed renewing old friendships, catching up with former professors, and traditional baseball activities such as cheering the home team and eating hot dogs.

For years scientists have been aware of the potential problems of antibiotics being present in wastewater, and the research of Dr. Olya Keen is now showing that treatments to clean wastewater may actually be creating new antibiotics and further contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

The bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs the Lee College of Engineering delivers today were built upon a foundation of earlier engineering and technology programs taught at Charlotte College. One of the many students who took advantage of these engineering classes in Charlotte was Sam Bell, who in 1959 and 1960 earned the associate’s degree that led to his further engineering studies and a 30-plus-year career as an energy engineer.

With the purpose of integrating environmental, geotechnical, structures and transportation engineering, UNC Charlotte Civil and Environmental Engineering senior design projects require students to solve real-world design challenges and integrate their solutions with those of other teams.

Dr. Johnny Graham, a former student and professor in The William Stats Lee College of Engineer, was inducted into the UNC Charlotte Alumni Hall of Fame on March 17, 2015.

Since its inception in 1985, the Alumni Hall of Fame has honored only 69 of UNC Charlotte’s more than 100,000 graduates. Recipients are those who have demonstrated excellence locally, regionally and nationally, and in doing so have increased awareness of the high potential of UNC Charlotte alumni.

Dr. Chris Vermillion, an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has won a $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award to further his research in creating low-cost methodologies that optimize the combined physical system and controller for high-altitude wind energy systems.

The journey to an engineering degree is never easy, but for Civil and Environmental Engineering student Steven Dulin the effort of earning a degree seems easy compared to the fight for his life. For the past seven years, Dulin has battled cancer through seven major surgeries and 22 months of chemotherapy, and has been victorious.

The William States Lee College of Engineering held its Spring Senior Design Expo on April 30, 2015. Forty-five teams presented their completed two-semester projects, and 30 teams presented their first-semester design-concept posters. A photo gallery of the winners and the Expo is here.